Source: North Manchester Journal, August 21, 1890

FURIOUS FLAMES
Fire Destroys Four Business Rooms in this City early Monday Morning.
The Fire Supposed to be the Work of an Incendiary.

This city was visited by the most disastrous fire it has had in five years last Monday morning. The row of frame business rooms on the corner of Main and Market streets were burned to the ground between half past two o'clock and daylight, creating a great conflagration but as there was no wind stirring the flames were kept within the boundary of the four rooms.

The first two rooms on the west belonged to Michael Henney and the ground floor of the second one was occupied by J.B. Lockwood's tin shop. Otherwise both buildings were unoccupied, save by a few sleighs owned by Henry Thrush, stored in the war room in the rear of the corner building, all of which were carried out in safety. The next room was also a two story building belonging to Ben Oppenheim & Co., and with the exception of about 2,5000 pounds of wood they had stored in it, was also unoccupied. The fourth room was a one story building, formerly owned by J.M. Jennings, occupied by a millinery establishment. The stocks of the tin shop and millinery shop were carried out and almost entirely saved, though in a more or less damaged condition. The brick room adjoining the fire on the east was occupied by Frank's cigar store on first floor and by A.B. McFann as a residence in the second story. This building, owing to the efficient work of the fire department, did not sustain any damage of consequence, but the contents was moved out into the street as a precaution in case of danger.

The loss has been variously estimated at from $6,000 to $8,000, with an insurance of $2,950 on the whole. The Henney rooms were uninsured. He had had a policy of $1,000 on each but it expired some two weeks ago and he failed to renew it. There was a policy of $150 in the Springfield, of Massachusetts, on the Oppenheim building, but nothing on the wool in it. The millinery building and stock was covered by policies to the amount of$2,500, of which $1,000 was on the building and the amount was divided equally between the Fireman's Fund Co., of San Francisco, and the Northern Co., of London. Lockwood's stock was insured.

When first seen the fire was confined to the back part of the Oppenheim building, but the buildings were all old and dry so that it spread with great rapidity and soon enveloped the rear ends of all four. Though the fire department and citizens worked heroically and played on the flames with two streams of water they were only able to keep them under control and from spreading to the ware houses and stables to the north and east. By shortly after four o'clock all that was left was the black and smoking ruins making a rather ghastly rent in the row of business houses.

How the fire originated is still a matter of conjecture and probably will never be known, though it is pretty generally believed that it was the work of an incendiary, and circumstances seem to point strongly in that direction. Who could have committed so foul a deed and what could have been the cause for it is a mystery which no one has attempted to solve. There may have been other and natural causes but they have not appeared. The first report that it was caused by spontaneous combustion in the wool in the Oppenheim building was shown to be untrue as the fire at the start was chiefly on the outside of the building, and after the building had burned the pile of wool was found intact in the ruins only small portion of the outside burned and nearly all of it was save. It is also stated by competent men that wool in any quantity or condition will not ignite by spontaneous combustion. The finding of a coal oil can in the ruins behind the buildings caused a great deal of comment at the time but it has been ascertained that the can belonged to Mr. Lockwood who used the oil to wash the acid from his tin work off his hands.

The best account of the starting of the fire we have been able to obtain is from Rev. Strickland, of Argos, who was first to see it and give the alarm. Mr. Strickland, who had been here attending the Christian conference, was on his way to take the three o'clock train and left Rev. Samuels' house at half past two. He saw the light of the fire some time before he got near the place, but on determining its character and location he at once began to cry "fire" and started toward the engine house. As soon as the alarm was started he returned and began pounding at the doors of the store rooms and ran around to the rear. He says that teh shed building in the rear of the Oppenheim building was all on fire on the outside from the ground up and that the flames were lapping up the end of the store. This bears out the idea of incendiarism. It could not have been burning long as other parties are known to have passed by only a few minutes before and saw no trace of fire. Other people began to arrive and the magnitude of the fire soon attracted the greater part of the town's population who crowded the streets on all sides.

The loss no doubt will be severely felt by all who had any property in teh fire, but many look upon it as a benefit to the town for when new buildings are put up they will of necessity be of  brick. All those destroyed were old frame structures built many years ago and were a menace to the town for being a fire trap. Of course it is too early to make any statements as to the erection of new rooms, but we have no doubt that another year will witness a fine block go up.

We cannot close this account without adding a few words in praise of the "fire laddies." They worked steadily and heroically during the entire time and it was only by their efforts that neighboring buildings were saved. The fire engine never worked better nor steadier and save the bursting of a few sections of hose two steady streams were kept playing on the fire. The engine had been out the evening before but Engineer Crill and Fireman Thompson had it in shape for immediate use.